Below the moon and the fleets of Tributary ships bringing treasure for the "Empire",a small satellite looking like a Christmas ornament hung in Earth orbit.
Inside looked like it was always Christmas, shopping season, as it's inhabitants flew about on crystal pixelated wings.
Yes, all was stirring. All but the mouse.
He was in custody at Victoria Monitoring Station, giving the guards and staff a thrill with deck tricks as they played cards.
All, betting ludicrous amounts from banks held across two thirds the galaxy in Tributary Accounts. Twas was a good way to spreed the prosperity and keep the money flowing, trade ships channels and light pulses they caught reflected and double transmitted across the network and now that the Leprechauns had invested, well...
The Mousling sat in his chair at the table, name tag:,"Hello My Name is General Pithawika." Below hung a placard."Custody Charged: Using Unnecessary Force In the Name of the Human Empire." Laughable because everyone knows there was no such thing as a "Human Empire.", except for the mice, till now.
He, entertaining enough in his zaniest to be put up with and they were human enough for him to tolerate!
Before another bet was placed the alerts sounded,"Well that ends our game." He said in a pout as he quickly folded his deck and shoved it into his pocket.
"...No!" said the guard beside him as she slammed her serving tray to the table and snatched the deck back. Heaven knows what a well trained Battle Lord like him could do with a pack of cards. Let alone...
"Pockets??!!" asked the guard as she tore of the badly added cloth made from his sleeves and pants legs.
He shrugged,"At least I make you earn your pay."
"...don't make us put you in short pants again!"
He folded his legs under him, guard detail took their place surrounded the chair, he was off! the chair making its way down floor rails back to his cell.
"Long live the 'Human Empire'!"He cried flashing the victory sign in both hands as the guard flew escort around the swiftly moving chair he was cuffed."Ha,ha,ha,ha!"
The table cleared, it projected a globe: events, places, thing highlighted holographicly.
A train,"Still running since 1907 I see."
A plane,"There they are."It disappeared."There they go. Better luck 'next time.'"
They sang a short song for the Eldritch.
A Chinese junk."Still in the clouds."
A gathering of Yeti,"Glad they're having fun." zoomed in on one trying to call long distance."Bill, stop trying to call North America without the proper authorization, no long distance collect calls, return that charge card, that's cheating!" He hung up."Silly bear!"
"Glad they haven't found smart phones..."
"Yes last thing we need...a flash mob."
At last, a boat in the Indian Ocean.
"Asking permission, to pick up...survivors..."
"Intercept their teletext..."the boss looked at an underling, waving a hand. He was quickly looking through a rolodex till he pulled out a card shoving it into the paper card reading slot.
"Authorization given..."the code was transmitted."Pick up survivors...maintain position."
"Genetic makeup, nearest homeland..."
"Contact British intelligence...tell them to send an investigator....its in their court." Satisfied the overseer turned to leave to conduct other business.Instantly, thousands of tiny red dots appeared all around the ship in the sea like measles...the computer overloaded. The lights went out.
Technicians busied with the panels in the walls and around the computer.
"What is going on?"asked a voice from the ceiling."Is that toy of yours acting up again?" she asked.
"No..hive mother...everything is fine..." her reply came."It will be up and running in a few...hours?" The technician shook his head looking sadly at the burnt wiring..."
"Fine for the starlight festival,this, unless our local Musk Musculus doesn't mess that up with his satellites and connect the dot laser light show! I do enjoy dining by candle light but honestly daughter, this fills the fingers of both hands!"
Daughter sighed.
"Was in natural, technological or achene?"
"Supernatural...mother..."
"Plus nature plus uh?....well."sighed the hive mother. "I suppose He'll turn the lights back on when he's ready...in the meantime...Man the semifore!"cried the hive mother."Let us not be caught slacking!"
On board the Fairmount the crew prepared to bring on the small flotilla. Having received authentication, engineering was contacted the ship turned slowly, not to spill cargo and circled round to meet with those at sea at last deciding to bring the ship at lee to the starboard side.
In the crafts when they saw the ship the people became quite, such a large mass of people, such large eyes never took their eyes off the ship but for some who were looking a magazines and talking with others.
At first the captain though the ships would collide the smaller smashing to peices. Despite the raft flimsy appearance they were quite well made, it was only the amount of people that made the raft so ungainly and unsafe. The people at sea weren't seafarers, but the knots they made secured the rafts of bamboo and canvass well enough.
"Ahoy."The crew of the Fairmount asked who was in charge. Someone replied in a dutch accent. The Rainbow Haired girl and the pink one were pushed to the front. Crew were just about to climb down a long cargo net lowered over the side to meet with the asked for a delegation. Looking down the two were already two thirds up the side and on deck as one jumps into a rowboat.
The pink one insisted on hugging everyone till the captain said to stop. The Rainbow one just stood there, staring into ever ones eyes shaking her hands limply.
"What are you doing?" asked Pinkie
"Twi said,' When we meet..look them in eyes shake hands.'"she said still staring at a tall lanky seaman who stared back suspiciously.
"no..."said Pinkie.Slapping her across"That's rude!Like this!"she grabbed his hand."Hello nice too meet you." he was reflexive in response.
"Oh!"said Rainbow. Grabbing his hand excitedly, there was a little crick sound."Hello nice too...."the sailor let out a roar and yanked his hand back."Oh...oh...sorry...sorry...I is sorry..."she said.
Pinkie put a hand one her face,"Calm down...shhh...calm down...."the snaggle in Rainbow's mouth disappeared.
"Who is the captain?"Asked Pinkie.
"I am Captain Naitain.."he said.
"Please, Captain may we board?"
"Off course...I..." the lines to the net went taught."He rushed to the side."Not all of you at once! He cried astonished at the number already half way up. Some with people on their backs others with large packs."Slowly,just the first group on the nets. More slowly! First!"he cried to the second in command. "Get the crew stationed." Already they were on deck following instructions, the little ones told to stand a little out of the way, asking in broken English what could be done to help.
And they did help!
"I've never seen anything like it..." said the first mate astonished at the complete lack of panic the order the survivors conducted themselves and the exceedingly neat order they left their things in stacks out of the way but secured on the deck.
The last, to the Captain's concern, grabbed two ends of the canvas and on the cargo nets pulled two lines and the rafts denigrated the lashing to timbers unraveled pulling the canvas up from the empty rafts as others and crew helped.
"I did not tell you to do that!" roared the captain as the survivors neatly folded and distributed the canvass.
"If it rains? Where will we sleep?" said one.
"Leave them there."he said of the folded bundles."Everyone! Everyone!" That got their attention, all quiet."I'm Captain Naitain!" They all quietly waited. "This is my ship, you don't go anywhere, you don't do anything without my say!"
Quiet."Ok."
The quiet disquieted him."Everyone sit down.They sat down in groups. "Choose a representative...and."
"Ready!" said one as twenty stood up and came forward holding sheets of paper.
"I'm not ready.."he said flummoxed."
"We have have reports..."
"...and we have an order. My representative will meet with yours."he still couldn't believe this."It will take time."
"Ok."
"You'll have to wait."
"Ok."
"You'll have to medically inspected..."
"Can we eat first?"
"No..."said Pinkie interrupting the captain."You never eat before seeing a Doctor. Mon's books told me this..."
"That's right..."said the captain.Whose Mon?
"But I'm thirsty..." said a child.
"Of course. First..."
"Yes sir."
"Mathia here will give you each a little water. Remember. We don't know. You could be severely dehydrated...so if you haven't got enough the first round. Be patient. You can have another after you have drunk every bit.To much water is as bad as not enough."
"Ok."
Another person raised a hand."Do we go in the sea? Usually we dig holes, deep holes..."
An order was established and was set down with an escort.
The captain decided to let them put up the canvas as a shelter, in thirty minutes, among the cargo container, was a lovely shaded place. Using the twine they began roping the area off tying rags to the lines making them visible. They then sat down in groups and quietly talked among themselves.
The Captain retired leaving it to other members of the crew. He felt tired. His head swam with questions.
"I've never seen anything live this!" said the first mate.
The captain nodded his head in agreement."Get started with the examinations..."he said to the members of his crew with first responded training.
At the fly club Celesta boarded a fast plane, arriving at the airbase she boarded an even faster plane en route to the somewhere over the India Ocean, changing on the way, thank goodness for the local airport goblin,had her all packed and ready before returning to maintain the airport in his little cart. Singing merrily.
Ah. What the public doesn't know!
He even had a sack lunch for "Little Celestia", getting on in years but his work still spot on.
On board she received another envelope and gps tracking wrist gauge. She found a place to doze a little, remember and dream.
Last mission of Celestia and Luna: their squad had found them. A hive, little green alien marauders, they'had been tracking for days. At last ,mindless big eyed beings in service to those elder abominations of the void,they found them! Regulars of the Giant Killers Brigade were having a time of it then till Celestia and Luna got into the action!
Celestia threw fists this way and that, saving the ammunition for those who didn't have that bone mutation like Luna and herself, bone hard as concrete!
Luna came roaring through the sea of alien bodies like a shark, leaving a wake of green entrails an ickor behind her!
Celestia grinned as she heard her sister cackle...Celestia rolled her eyes and thought,"Glad she was having a good time."
Too much of a good time....something was wrong.
Celestia heard the hysterical laughter and the machine gun fire, catching a glimpse of Luna. Shock to see,her eyes wide, her wide hands full a machine guns, firing them simultaneously with the joints of her long spidery finger through each triggering hole firing too close to comrades in arms, she!
Berserker fever had taken Luna! Celestia had only moments to react before their fellow special services would off her as they would any other monster encountered!
Celestia's graceful movement became gangly as she made speed toward her sister, the training the sisters of mercy had gotten for her as well as what she learned she put into action.
If she didn't stop her sister, she would be utterly alone!
She raced across the carnage and slugged Luna acrossed, breaking her hand....
Order restored
"The Grain Pounders" out of the the United States formed lines and drove the monsters to the cliff wall behind, moving as mowers with scythes in a field of wheat. Up on the cliffs, the mice, those wanna be soldiers and heroes, finished off the greens who managed to scale the cliffs, twittering, happy that they were part of a human mission, a cause, for once.
That was one of the things Celestia remembered.
Guttural, chattering gibbering sound, an ugly howl boiled up, seemed to come from deep inside, Celestia almost instinctively joined it.
A deeper memory was woken instead.
The Roar, taking her back,back back.
Two little girls with their mother, covered in the softest hides she could find. Clinging, all the others as the danced and swayed in tribal rhythm to the savage beat. Dancing, swaying back and forth or else in excited energy either rushing up to them crying out or jumping up and over, through the large bonfire they circled, or else held back by the elders because they lacked knowledge, experience maybe they just didn't want the young ones hurt.
Worbly screeching sounds Celestia heard.
Massive forms charged and rushed into the camp on heavy footfalls, the sound of them like chewing nuts, in their number, tearing out encampments, smashing huts, tearing nets, throwing up dust, raising themselves higher than their mother, a terrible circling of sharp points as they bellowed, high pitched for their size, barely missing the children slicing pumbling the air. Terrible hollow trumping sound, unmistakable, bone and bodies, hard contact made, something sending beings flying, screaming, or landing with a jarring, rattling sounds of bones.
Mother scrambled away, her two girls in either arm, something hidden,in the bushed. A treasure! A well made dugout canoe! Placing them in.
One final hug of her maternal form, wet tears all round, no sobbing, before she pealing Luna off her arm, Celesta held them tight in the boat bracing them, being ready.
Luna watched wide eyed unblinking as mother changed.
Mother, now thick and wide and bulky in the shadows and red light from the flames, raised the boat to her hip and slung/threw, hurled it with superhuman strengthen.It flew high, keeping upright slowly turning, beyond the barrier reef, out to sea with a splish and a bounce.
The shallow hull canoe turning slowly,skipping like a stone.
The little girls saw their mother turn in shrinking glimpses, running towards an even greater muscular formed monster. In that dark light, they could barely be made an outline near as a Clydesdale horse!
..Celestia tried to force herself awake,she dreamed sitting bolt upright.
She licked her lips.
Oh she wanted to indulge that instinct, to let lose that sound inside, join with the others and sound back that cry she heard!
No. Such a sound!
It would shudder the plane! Scare everyone within for weeks, she'd be reported, inquest over, the monster, be locked up like her sister had been, solitary, years!
A roar from them had escaped their snior trip to America.
A country music concert, howling on stage...Luna and Celestia in exuberance decide to join him!
"We are experiencing technical difficulties to prevent injury please exite the stadium in an orderly manner thank you!"
Father Randal barely got his senior class out of the venue before American containment forces showed up. Luna and Celestia looked like every other teenager. Scared because of the unearthly sound that breached among the the audience that night.
Such a scolding from Father Randal. He didn't stop being angry till they were off the plane and safely in the Giants house!
Celestia sighed. Luna was right.
They were lucky not to have been discover, too young then for the cell.
The cell: bare and long for exercise, without comfort. As simple as a feeding trough as complex as a medicated gel capsule.
A true monster couldn't take it. Isolation was to force the monster to reveal itself.
When it did those thin cement walls would hardly contain such things.
Of course things had to be changed for Luna, they had to uncement her in after a few days, install a slot for food a door, give her a bowl of water to wash...sometimes the bowl would last a few weeks, before being crushed or shattered, then doctor check ups, in silence.
Waiting,waiting, waiting, waiting for the monster to break out, to test their skill and reflexes, to slay the dragon.Hours turned to days, days to weeks, weeks to months, months to years.
The dragon never came out for St. John.
All Celestia could do was continue on missions, for the sake of her sister, she would beg, to work for her sister's upkeep.
They had to build another cell, for other monsters, at least a quarter mile away, then Luna was rattled once in a while by gunfire...it was the furthest Celestia could negotiate.
Silence was very important as the doctors visited and examined Luna and Luna learned silence.
Celestia couldn't help but come to the cell just to be near, she dared not to speak that was the condition, surrounded by an armed guard.
But alone in that cell!How Luna howled! Sometimes she could smell Celestia, and howl worse, however a very human howl.
Once Luna caught a glimpse of her sister through the door during a checkup. Celestia cursed herself for that! .Luna's face drawn and thin a mass a wrinkles, but still human.
It was the first time the guard with doctor cocked his weapon as Luna quivered and whimpered letting tears drop trying not to cry
Guards outside, would have easily egged the soldier on if not for discipline. Tired, armed guards, surroundimg the cell waiting every moment every hour.The Roman guard at the tomb,Celestia imagined, she remembering religious stories from the sisters.
Luna'd howl...but not like a monster.
The observers were impressed by Luna's self control. She volunteered, a model prisoner, as a human, she used every bit of training she had leaned as a recruit to the organization. Sometimes the doctors would apologies she only bit her lip and nodded.
She cried out. She pounded the walls.She begged like any other human being.
"You have not experienced anything that is not common to every other man!" she would cry out sometimes, recite scripture. Whole books! Luna had a good memory, thinking, mind diversion games, kept the monster away.
Luna knew, that if she did not show self control, that would be her end, and Celestia would be alone.
Wait...That sound came from outside!
A monstern, in the sky like herself, in the sky? A subspecies that could move through the sky!
No! They were native to the Atlatic!
She had seen one close, pressed up and peering at her through a window on a mission to North America trying to tear up the engine she broke the window shooting...
No. No. That was just the in flight movie!
Celestia was distracted. Her instincts were piqued.Why not indulge the instinct? Celestia bit her lip. The monster had its foot in the door.
There are better ways to express your instinct monster.
Oh like what?!!
Cake.
Cake?
Monster inside lost all interest in expressing itself as Celestia imagined building a giant cake as big as Buckingham Palace rooms and walls and all the artwork and furniture all of paraffin frosting and icing, comically decorated rising to the sky!
The last brick was laid, she opened the doors and let the monster in to...
Glut on cake!
How much like the Giants house it was. Sophie.Three wide steps in. Father Randal shed a tear. Gaggs from mouths removed and into a pallor of fellow beings, orphan and soldiers and most beautiful beaming smile Celestia had ever seen!
Celestia went back to higher consciousness and stretched in the cargo bay only to feel a tap on her abstraction shoulder.
"Gah..."said the monster sweetly with its grinning maw as it handed her slice on a plate with a its wide hands and stringy fingers.
"Oh how sweat, you got me a corner piece from the garden. And it has a rose on it!" she took the plate and waved to the monster as it went to sleep.
Sweetie really, all she really wanted to do was lay in her hammock between her two palms and sleep, especially Glutted on cake!
No she really shouldn't indulge that instinct either... only make her fat, sluggish and hard to move.
Celestia finished her abstract cake and ate the plate." What? It's my imagination!" Returning to the mission at hand.
The monster had it own itinerary through that roar though.It gently rocked back and forth, opening the manila enveloped received via a pink haired bicycle Currier. "Oh tasty." It said."Yo, ho,ho...."
All Abstract, mind you, of course as she rode away ringing her bikes bell.